Used to kill insects in grain, etc., in barns. Locally anæsthetic, and
irritant. Inhaled, toxic, causing excitement, anæsthesia, collapse.
Large doses, excitement, reckless movements, incoördination,
giddiness, sleep, stertor, paraplegia. Small doses, weakness,
emaciation, tremors, paraplegia, polyuria, mellituria; convulsions,
death. Distortion and varicosity of axis cylinder, and unequal
staining of cytoplasm. Treatment: pure air, good diet; massage,
electricity, tonics, phosphorous.
This agent is largely used in vulcanizing and other factories where the
employes are liable to suffer, and also in granaries, barns, etc., for
the destruction of insects in grain and other objects and where animals
are liable to suffer.
_Locally_ it acts like chloroform, when confined to the surface, as
under a glass or covering, producing very active irritation with
anæsthesia.
_Inhaled_ it produces intoxication, excitement, general anæsthesia and
finally collapse. In rabbits it causes intense excitement, giddiness,
swaying from side to side, and reckless leaps forward, followed by
profound sleep with deep stertor, and paraplegia for half an hour after
the return of consciousness (Oliver). When taken for a long time in
smaller quantity it caused weakness, emaciation, tremors, paraplegia,
and death in convulsions. There was polyuria, with excess of sugar but
neither urea nor albumin. The large cells in the motor areas of the
brain, when stained by Golgi’s method, showed the axis cylinder
distorted and varicose, and the cytoplasm stained unequally. The action
on dogs was essentially the same, and in neither animal were changes in
the blood globules observed (Oliver).
In man slow poisoning caused headache and exhilarate intoxication,
followed by depression, mental apathy, dullness, loss of memory,
impaired vision, hearing, sexual desire and muscular power. Cramps are
common (Delpech, Curtis).
_Treatment_ consists in giving pure air, good food, massage, galvanism,
tonics, and for the persistent nervous failure phosphorus.